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Teen with autism dies after being restrained for being violent at school

Teen with autism dies after being restrained for being violent at school

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Updated: 11:39 PM EST Dec 6, 2018

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WEBVTT THE HOSPITAL. BRANDI: WHILE EL DORADO COUNTY INVESTIGATORS ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LED TO THIS STUDENT’S DEATH, PEOPLE WORKING NEARBY SAY THEY HEARD SCREAMING NOT LONG BEFORE THEY SAW FIRST RESPONDERS AT THE SCHOOL ONE WEEK AGO. EL DORADO COUNTY DEPUTIES RESPONDED HERE TO GUIDING HANDS SCHOOL LAST WEDNESDAY AFTER A 911 CALL FOR AN UNRESPONSIVE STUDENT. THEY SAY THE 13-YEAR-OLD HAD BECOME VIOLENT IN A CLASSROOM AND NEEDED TO BE RESTRAINED TO PREVENT INJURY TO STAFF AND OTHER STUDENTS. WHILE BEING RESTRAINING, THE STUDENT WITH SEVERE AUTISM BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND LATER DIED. THE STUDENT WAS SIX FEET TALL, 280 POUNDS. KCRA 3 HAS LEARNED ALL GUIDING HANDS STAFF MUST UNDERGO ANNUAL TRAINING THAT STARTS WITH BUILDING DE-ESCALATION SKILLS, AND AS A LAST RESORT, TECHNIQUES TO PLACE STUDENTS IN A NEUTRAL POSITION. WE SPOKE TO A WOMAN WHO WORKS NEARBY WHO HAD NO IDEA A STUDENT FROM THE SCHOOL DIED. SHE DESCRIBED WHAT SHE HEARD AND SAW THAT DAY. >> JUST A BUNCH OF SCREAMING AND THEN NOT TOO MUCH LONGER AFTER THAT WE SAW THE PARAMEDICS AND THE FIRE TRUCK PULL UP, BUT WE DIDN’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE WE’RE CONSTANTLY HEARING KIDS SCREAMING AND STUFF ACROSS THE STREET. BRANDI: GUIDING HANDS IS A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT HAS ABOUT 150 STUDENTS. THE STUDENTS ARE TYPICALLY REFERRED HERE BY OTHER SCHOOLS OR DISTRICTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO SERVE THEM. THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 25 YEARS AND IS ACCREDITED BY THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. LATE THIS AFTERNOON, THE SCHOOL RELEASED A STATEMENT THROUGH A SPOKESMAN THAT READS IN PART, IT IS WITH HEAVY HEARTS THAT WE SHARE THE VERY DIFFICULT NEWS THAT A BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY HAS PASSED AWAY. OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE FAMILY, AND THE ON-GOING INVESTIGATION, WE ARE UNABLE TO SHARE FULL DETAILS AT THIS TIME. THE STATEMENT CONTINUES, WE ARE DEVASTATED BY THIS LOSS AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF. THE STUDENT’S NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, NOR HAS A CAUSE OF DEATH. WE’LL CONTINUE FOLLOWING THIS STORY AS THE INVESTIGATION PROGRESSES. IN EL DORADO HILLS, BR

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Teen with autism dies after being restrained for being violent at school

A 13-year-old boy at a private alternative school in California who was restrained last week during an incident and became unresponsive died two days later at a hospital, officials said Thursday.The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said the student became violent on Nov. 28 in a class at Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills and needed to be restrained by school staff to prevent injury to the staff and other students. While being restrained, the student became unresponsive, according to the Sheriff's Office.There were no details given about what prompted the student's behavior or how he was restrained.Deputies were dispatched after a 911 call about an unresponsive student. A teacher gave the teen CPR until medical aid arrived. He was hospitalized in critical condition and died two days later."At this time, there appears to be no evidence of foul play or criminal intent," the Sheriff's Office statement said. The investigation is ongoing, Sgt. Anthony Prencipe said.The 13-year-old, who had a severe form of autism, was 6 feet tall and weighed about 280 pounds, the Sheriff's Office said.All school staff go through annual training that starts with building deescalation skills and last-resort techniques to place students in a neutral position, school officials said. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the very difficult news that a beloved member of our school community has passed away. Out of respect for the family, and the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share full details at this time," said school spokesman Scott Rose in a statement. "There was an incident on campus involving a student in which staff needed to utilize a nationally recognized behavior management protocol to address the situation. After the incident, an emergency ensued. "We are devastated by this loss and remain committed to the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff," Scott said.Guiding Hands is a private school that has about 150 students. The students are typically referred there by other schools or districts who are unable to serve them. The school has been in operation for 25 years and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. (KCRA) —

A 13-year-old boy at a private alternative school in California who was restrained last week during an incident and became unresponsive died two days later at a hospital, officials said Thursday.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said the student became violent on Nov. 28 in a class at Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills and needed to be restrained by school staff to prevent injury to the staff and other students. While being restrained, the student became unresponsive, according to the Sheriff's Office.

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There were no details given about what prompted the student's behavior or how he was restrained.

Deputies were dispatched after a 911 call about an unresponsive student.

A teacher gave the teen CPR until medical aid arrived. He was hospitalized in critical condition and died two days later.

"At this time, there appears to be no evidence of foul play or criminal intent," the Sheriff's Office statement said. The investigation is ongoing, Sgt. Anthony Prencipe said.

The 13-year-old, who had a severe form of autism, was 6 feet tall and weighed about 280 pounds, the Sheriff's Office said.

All school staff go through annual training that starts with building deescalation skills and last-resort techniques to place students in a neutral position, school officials said.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the very difficult news that a beloved member of our school community has passed away. Out of respect for the family, and the ongoing investigation, we are unable to share full details at this time," said school spokesman Scott Rose in a statement. "There was an incident on campus involving a student in which staff needed to utilize a nationally recognized behavior management protocol to address the situation. After the incident, an emergency ensued.

"We are devastated by this loss and remain committed to the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff," Scott said.

Guiding Hands is a private school that has about 150 students. The students are typically referred there by other schools or districts who are unable to serve them.

The school has been in operation for 25 years and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.